1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bundled object that is made by bundling a body-to-be-bundled which is made by overlapping a plurality of articles, with a plastic tape.
Further, the present invention relates to a bundling method and a bundling apparatus for manufacturing the bundled object as described above.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, in order to transport, store, or the like, articles having a relatively flat shape, overlapping a plurality of articles and then bundling the articles with a tape or a string has been widely performed. In a bundled object which is formed in this way, for example, in a case where the bundled object is discarded as it is, a case where consideration is required for releasing the bundling is less common. However, under other situations, it is sometimes required that the bundling be easily released.
As a concrete situation where there is a demand as described above, a case where an article is an analysis element (generally referred to as a slide, a cartridge, a card, a medium, or the like) that is used for some sort of analysis or inspection before the articles are loaded into an analyzer or the like, the articles are handled in the form of a bundled object in which a plurality of articles are put together and if the bundled object is loaded into the analyzer or the like, the articles are made to be able to be used one by one by cutting a tape or the like for the bundling, or the like can be given. In such a case, it is also required that the cut tape, string, or the like can be easily removed from the periphery of the plurality of articles.
As a bundled object made such that work to cut a tape, a string, or the like for bundling and then remove it from the periphery of a plurality of articles, as described above, is easily performed, a bundled object described in JP1987-4088A (JP-S62-4088A) or JP2002-211633A is publicly known.
The bundled object described in JP1987-4088A (JP-S62-4088A) is a bundled object made by forming a stack by overlapping copy sheets (copying paper) as articles, winding and bundling the stack by hard paperboard and a flexible packaging band, and then joining one end and the other end of the packaging band so as to be able to be torn off on the side surface of the stack.
Further, the bundled object described in JP2002-211633A is a bundled object made by forming a laminated body by stacking up prepackaged spoons as articles in multiple stages, winding and bundling the laminated body by a band film, and welding a rear end portion and a leading end portion of the band film so as to be able to be torn off on the side surface of the laminated body.